Wonderware InTouch Machine Edition is designed for the development of secure, intuitive and highly maintainable human-machine interface (HMI) applications for embedded devices, intelligent machines, and industrial panel computers. InduSoft Web Studio is a development and runtime software that is used to create supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) HMI applications, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) interfaces, and dashboards.

Independent security researcher Alisa Esage Shevchenko, and Gleb Gritsai, Ilya Karpov, and Kirill Nesterov of Positive Technologies have identified a total of four vulnerabilities affecting these Schneider Electric products.

One of the issues uncovered by the experts is that sensitive information stored in Project Files and Project Configuration Files is protected using a hardcoded password that is available in clear text (CVE-2015-0999), Schneider Electric said in its advisory.

Another problem is that user credentials are transmitted without being encrypted (CVE-2015-0998). A malicious actor can intercept the information and use it to access control systems, the company said.

An authentication vulnerability (CVE-2015-0997) identified by researchers allows an unauthorized user to obtain server login information through brute force attacks. This is possible because available usernames are displayed when connecting to the server from the HMI.

According to ICS-CERT, the vulnerabilities can be exploited from an adjacent network.

The security holes affect InduSoft Web Studio version 7.1.3.2 and prior, and InTouch Machine Edition 2014 version 7.1.3.2 and prior. The energy giant has released InTouch Machine Edition 2014 version 7.1.3.4, Service Pack 3, Patch 4, and InduSoft Web Studio version 7.1.3.4, Service Pack 3, Patch 4 to resolve the issues.

Organizations are advised to update their installations as soon as possible, especially since even an attacker with low skill can exploit the vulnerabilities, and ICS-CERT says public exploits for these flaws might exist.

Eduard Kovacs (@EduardKovacs) is a contributing editor at SecurityWeek. He worked as a high school IT teacher for two years before starting a career in journalism as Softpedia’s security news reporter. Eduard holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial informatics and a master’s degree in computer techniques applied in electrical engineering.